Um | 1 Corinthians | E-Book | sack.de
E-Book

E-Book, Englisch, 368 Seiten

Reihe: Preaching the Word

Um 1 Corinthians

The Word of the Cross
1. Auflage 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4335-2396-0
Verlag: Crossway
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 0 - No protection

The Word of the Cross

E-Book, Englisch, 368 Seiten

Reihe: Preaching the Word

ISBN: 978-1-4335-2396-0
Verlag: Crossway
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 0 - No protection



The apostle Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to a church struggling with their identity as Christians. Designed to help modern readers understand and apply this biblical letter to their own lives-especially when it comes to fighting sin and interacting with a fallen world-this commentary by pastor Stephen Um explains the biblical text with clarity and insight. Part of Crossway's award-winning Preaching the Word commentary series, this volume uses powerful illustrations, engaging anecdotes, and practical applications to help readers truly engage with God's Word in a powerful and authentic way. Furthermore, pastors, teachers, and small group leaders will find valuable assistance in preparing to lead others through the biblical text. Part of the Preaching the Word series.

Stephen Um (PhD, University of St. Andrews) is the author of Micah for You and 1 Corinthians in the Preaching the Word series. Stephen and his wife, Kathleen, live in Boston, Massachusetts, with their three daughters.
Um 1 Corinthians jetzt bestellen!

Autoren/Hrsg.


Weitere Infos & Material


2

The Appeal of Unity

1 CORINTHIANS 1:10–17

THE APOSTLE PAUL decides to speak into a completely factious Corinthian community that was full of arguments and disagreements. Paul recognized that it was a partisan spirit that led the church into disunity. Given this context, it is worth asking the following questions: What does Paul say to the Corinthians to express the importance of unity? How does Paul effectively and encouragingly communicate this message to them? This passage will be traced through the following three plot points:

  • The Appeal for Unity
  • Obstacles to Unity
  • The Restoration of Unity

The Appeal for Unity (A Picture of Unity)

The undergirding human longing is for unity and not disunity, harmony and not chaos, integration and not disintegration. The desire is to be a unified, shalomic community of people who are able to sacrificially love one another. But in reality this is not the normative structure of communities. In most communities peace is difficult to find, and there is no shalom as the Bible describes it. But the Bible does mention the need for longing for shalom, and the evidence of that longing can also be seen in the human heart. Throughout the Old Testament prophets dreamed about that glorious day when all things that are corrupt and broken down would be rebuilt; the rough places would be made straight; there would be humility in the midst of arrogance; there would be peace among conflict and warfare; lambs could lie down with lions. This beautiful and almost unfathomable picture of reality is what the Bible describes as shalom. Plantinga defines shalom as “a universal flourishing, a wholeness, and delight.”1 In this Biblical shalom, God is introducing an unspeakable beauty that human beings are longing to find—a harmonious, shalomic state of unity. We long for a day when there will be no murder, envy, boredom, shame, racism, fear, stress, war, conflict, terrorism, snobbery, robbery, assault, and malicious gossip.

The Tone of Paul’s Appeal (v.10)

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

Paul is very careful in how he handles the Corinthians in this situation. Note that he is making an “appeal.” In other words, he doesn’t begin with a demand, nor does he ignore the reality of the disunity in the church. He is operating by the gospel principle of speaking the truth in love. To leave them in their broken estate by ignoring the issue would be unloving, so he must speak the truth. But on the other hand, to crush them in their broken estate by coming with a heavy hand would be out of step with the truth of the gospel, so he must speak in love. His appeal is tender. Look at the way he chooses to use familial language: “brothers.” He invokes their membership in God’s family, and thus their filial relationship to one another. His appeal is also solemn. He appeals to them “by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Though this is a family matter, it is also a serious matter. Appealing “by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” is to affirm the root of Paul’s apostolic authority. The combination of a parental tenderness with a solemn authority is precisely what is needed in an instance where there is deep division. To be overly tender and ignore the issue is to pass over the truth; to be overly authoritarian and press the listener is to lose a hearing. Not only is Paul concerned about the tone,2 but the very substance of his appeal speaks directly into the issue of division as well.

The Substance of Paul’s Appeal

First, he instructs them to “agree.” Literally this means “to speak the same.”3 “Speak the same” was a term used to describe political parties that were free from factions. To speak the same, or to agree, is to be in harmony with one another rather than to talk past one another. Second, they must mend the fissures in their relationships—“no divisions.” The Greek term here is schismata,4 from which we get the English words schism or schismatic. Paul is appealing to them to find new methods of relating to one another. This is very relevant in today’s context as well. We have trouble with people who are unnecessarily schismatic, always looking for an argument. Third, they are to communicate so that they can get on the same page. They are to be “united in the same mind and the same judgment.” He’s calling them to adjust their opinions and worldviews to be in line with the gospel that they have received. He is not looking for uniformity, but harmony about the basics of the faith. The upside-down content of the gospel is supposed to shape their mental framework, their “mind,” and their worldview. And out of that mental framework they are to arrive at judgments and opinions that are in line with the truth of the gospel. So not only is the tone of Paul’s appeal attractive, but so is the substance. Paul lays out a path toward unity:5 agreement; mended relationships; and intentional, harmonious life together.

But Paul makes this appeal for unity precisely because the Corinthian church is coming apart at the seams. We all have a vision of what a restored, shalom-shaped world might look like. It is a good sign that each of us possesses an inherent desire for a reconciled life. But this can also be a source of division, discord, and dissonance—friction, feuding, and factions. Some think, When you and I have different visions of the way the world is supposed to be, there is no room for unity. This was exactly what was happening in Corinth.

Obstacles to Unity (The Vandalism of Unity and the Problem of Disunity)

The Corinthians had written a letter to Paul explaining some of the issues among them (spiritual gifts, problems surrounding the Lord’s Supper, questions about the resurrection), but they had not given him all of the information. Paul then heard from another source that there were serious problems in the community. Chloe—who is most likely a prominent businesswoman6 from Ephesus (where Paul wrote 1 Corinthians) with business interests in the city of Corinth—has had her people tell Paul about the issues that the Corinthian church did not want him to know about.

The Issue of Horizontal Factionalism (vv. 11, 12)

What we find in the Corinthian church is “quarreling” (v. 11) and there is a “party-minded spirit.”7 “Several factors contributed to a party-minded spirit: social stratification, personal patronage, philosopher/student loyalty, and party loyalties fostered by urban alienation.”8 They have adopted wholesale their culture’s emphasis on patronage. Note that these are not theological divisions—Paul,9 Apollos,10 Cephas (i.e., Peter),11 and Jesus12 all preached the same gospel. They have divided themselves along stylistic and rhetorical lines (i.e., who was the most eloquent, who was the most impressive, who had the most pizzazz, etc.).13 Despite Paul’s teaching regarding security of identity in Christ, the Corinthians were trying to find their identity in union with another patron. They were looking for something that would give them ultimate meaning and enable them to be in a more privileged position than other people—patronage is an attempt at self-validation by means of another person’s successes and status. In essence they are thinking, “I as the client will associate myself with a patron. The more elite, the more wealthy, the more upper class, the more honored my patron is, by my association with that patron I will also be honored, I will also be elevated, I will also be viewed as someone who is extremely important, valuable, worthy, and praiseworthy.” Seeking validation in something outside of self is a very common phenomenon. People tend to attach themselves to individuals, causes, industries, and dreams that give them a vision of the world as they think it should be. There are identity attachments to schools, roles, jobs, etc.

In the world of educational credentials, there is always a desire to inform people (in an organic way) about our association with selective institutions and reputable scholars. Oftentimes people may hear, “I graduated from this institution, and I studied with this individual, and if anyone knows anything in this field, they’ll know that he or she is one of the top five in this particular field.” This happens everywhere. Why? It sounds as though we are praising the institution, but in essence we are praising ourselves. The institution is our patron. We are in union with the name of our institution, relationships, items, products, services, and individuals. These things falsely promise people that they would develop one’s identity. This was the issue of horizontal factionalism—patronage for self-validation.

Patronage is our escapist fix to numb the suspicion and fear that there is something wrong with the world and that it might be us. We are looking to be a part of something bigger than ourselves, but we attach ourselves to things that cannot hold the weight and that ultimately crumble—creating walls between us and those who have attached themselves to other things. This is...



Ihre Fragen, Wünsche oder Anmerkungen
Vorname*
Nachname*
Ihre E-Mail-Adresse*
Kundennr.
Ihre Nachricht*
Lediglich mit * gekennzeichnete Felder sind Pflichtfelder.
Wenn Sie die im Kontaktformular eingegebenen Daten durch Klick auf den nachfolgenden Button übersenden, erklären Sie sich damit einverstanden, dass wir Ihr Angaben für die Beantwortung Ihrer Anfrage verwenden. Selbstverständlich werden Ihre Daten vertraulich behandelt und nicht an Dritte weitergegeben. Sie können der Verwendung Ihrer Daten jederzeit widersprechen. Das Datenhandling bei Sack Fachmedien erklären wir Ihnen in unserer Datenschutzerklärung.